Like Jesus III // Pastor Chuck Colegrove // August 17, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Woo, what a moment.
What a moment.
Man, girlfriend, I don't know.

(00:25):
I'm so thankful, baby, I'm sothankful for your anointed
Church family.
It's the anointing that makesthe difference, like none of us

(00:49):
well, you are, but none of therest of us are skilled enough to
replicate what happens inheaven, like God created music

(01:11):
through the angels to create anatmosphere in heaven, their only
job.
They have nothing else to dobut to daily sing Holy, holy,
holy is the Lamb, worthy is theKing, who was and is and is to
come.
That's their only job.

(01:32):
And when something is your onlyjob, like for us, it takes about
10,000 hours of doing somethingto become reliable and good at
it.
I'll never forget when I got ajob this is not my sermon, but I
just feel compelled to justspend a moment in this presence.
One of the jobs I took as asalesman, I felt so good because

(01:55):
I was like man, I'm going tocrush it, I'm going to be so
good at this thing.
I was selling pagers, so thatwill tell you how long ago that
was.
Some of you are like what's apager?
I mean, you're going to have toGoogle it, because if you don't
know, you just can't know.
And I remember reading a quotethe first week I was in the

(02:18):
office and you know, sometimeswhen you're young and you think
you know it all and then youlearn something new and then you
think you could share it withsomebody you need to like.
Press pause for a secondBecause I read this quote that
said it takes an employee about36 months to become reliable and

(02:39):
productive.
I read that quote and I thought, well, surely that's not me.
36 months, that's three years.
I don't have three years tobecome reliable.
I need to become reliable onday one.
But I told my boss about thatand he said well, shoot, he was
like you don't have three yearsto become reliable.
What would you even tell me?

(02:59):
Then I was like, well, I justread it and I just think.
Sometimes we think we know itall, have it all and can be it
all.
And the reality is, if we wouldcome into a setting, even if
you know everything, come into asetting and just say you know
what, I'm just going to learnfor a second, I'm going to soak

(03:22):
in for a second.
I said all that to say theangels have one job in heaven
that are around the throne room.
They don't do anything else.
They don't go fight battles,they don't punch a clock for
anything else, they're notresponsible for upkeep, they're
not laying streets of gold.
Their one job is to worship andto sing.

(03:42):
And so what's amazing is theirone job is to worship and to
sing.
And so what's amazing is theyhave to do it because it is
their job.
We get to do it because it'sour choice, and that's why my

(04:03):
friend wrote a song a few yearsago.
The greatest song of all is thesong of the redeemed, the one
who knows what they were beforethey met God, the one who knows
what they might have become hadit not been for the Lord.
And there's something thathappens when we turn our hearts,

(04:28):
the posture of our heart andthe thoughts of our mind solely
on him.
We get to replicate heaven, andyou know what it becomes even
better because we're getting andchoosing to do it.
No one's forcing us.
And so, listen, we're not goingto apologize for the volume

(04:49):
turned up, and we're not goingto apologize for the expression
in the front of this place andour hands lifted and tears
streaming down our face, becauseI can't imagine what life would
be out without God on my side.
I don't want to think aboutwhat it would be like without
his hand directing me and hisword guiding me and his spirit
filling me.
So in these moments, I mean itjust feels good and thank you,

(05:14):
baby, for leading us into that.
And, team, well done today.
Team, we thank you for that.
And really I mean we could bedone, we could go home, but I'm
ready to preach God's word ifyou're ready to receive it.

(05:35):
The year was 2012.
And we had launched the churchin September of 2012.
My nephew got married inOctober of 2012, back in Texas,
so we traveled back for that,and then in November they were
hosting a wedding reception forall of his family who still

(05:55):
lived in Michigan, and so it wasa Friday.
We got the boys out of schoolearly, which is always a treat
for anybody that's ever going toschool.
To get out early or have to getcalled out on a Friday, that's
like the greatest gift of all,and, parents, your kids are
going to be okay if you takethem out on a Friday every now
and then Do something fun withthem.
So we got them out.

(06:16):
I thought I'd get a better amenfrom all of.
Thank you, noah, thank you forbeing in it.
So we got them out of school,got in the car and started
driving towards Detroit.
And you know, the first hourand a half is, you know, getting
out of Chicago and then thenext 45 minutes is getting
through Indiana, and so thoseare two different worlds.

(06:36):
It takes a lot of patience andprayer to get out of there
unscathed and still holy.
And I'm not saying I ever makeit through, I'm just telling you
it takes a lot.
So if you do it, well done.
So we get our way to the stateline of Michigan and as you're

(06:57):
driving on 94, there's a bigsign that says Welcome to
Michigan.
That's my home state, so it'salways a pleasure to see that.
And so we see that sign andUrshana just snaps a little
photo of the sign welcome toMichigan and sends it on to my
sister in Detroit and says hey,we're on our way.
And my sister just simplyresponds for what?

(07:18):
And Ursh is like well, for theshower, duh.
And my sister responds back duh, it's next week.
So we were driving like do wekeep going?

(07:40):
Should we just go see him twoweeks in a row?
And we decided at New Buffalo,we pulled off the highway and
parked on the side of the road asecond to discuss it.
And we had a little discussionhow do we do this?
How do we?
I thought it was this week, Idid too.
How do we mess it up, I don'tknow.

(08:00):
And then we decided we're notgoing to go all the way on to
Detroit, we're going to go backhome to Chicago and Oak Park.
And so we turned around and putthe car back towards the west.
It was a very quiet two-hourdrive home.
Kids were mad, everybody's madin that car.

(08:20):
Thank God nobody got in our way.
They might've got run over.
It was the year I learned thatyou can have it right in the
heart and wrong in the head.
Why don't you turn to yourneighbor and just say this let's
think for a change.
And then to your neighbor,you've been ignoring all service

(08:42):
just bump up and say let'sthink like Jesus.
Little did I know a few weeksago when I started this this
would turn in just three weeksof the same pursuit of beginning
to think like Jesus.
But I want you to know it isliterally possible for us to

(09:03):
have the heart right and thethought process wrong, to know
in our heart what we want to doand think it out the wrong way
in our head.
The Bible says the heart isgreat, but it also is very
deceiving.
Is great, but it also is verydeceiving, and if we're not

(09:26):
careful we can get a heartposture for something, have the
thought process wrong andtotally miss the mark all the
way.
It's why Paul writes for us notto be transformed to the
patterns of this world.
And when he's talking aboutpatterns he's not just talking
about actions Like don't just dowhat the world.
He's not saying, don't do whatthe world does.

(09:46):
Although that could beinterpreted and preached that
way, you could work that out.
He's saying don't be conformedto the thought process or align
yourself under the thoughtprocess of the world.
Don't fall for the philosophiesof the world, he's saying

(10:07):
there's actually we knowscripture says that.
God says this my ways arehigher than your ways, my
thoughts are higher than yourthoughts.
So if we're merely going tosettle ourselves under the
philosophies and the thoughts ofthe world, we're falling far
short of the design we've beencreated to live by.
And so we have to, as Paul says, be transformed by the renewing

(10:34):
of our mind.
And if you remember like,however, many weeks ago, I
preached.
The first part of this message,the.
That word transform is likemetamorphosis it's the
caterpillar into the butterfly,and I'm spending far too much
time on this.
I need to get into today'smessage so we can finish it, but
I need to just remind you thatit is the process of literally

(10:59):
your mind has to become new.
There's no other way to say it,because you cannot be saved and
still think like a lost person.
You can't be an overcomingChristian and still think like a
losing, like we used to lose.

(11:21):
It's not in my notes.
I should have worked that out alittle better.
It would have sounded better.
But remember we have to berenewed in our thinking and
sometimes you just have to talkyourself into thinking better
thoughts.
I greeted our team rally todayfor all the people that serve on

(11:44):
Sunday to make this servicepossible which, by the way, if
they don't serve, it's notpossible.
And there's really no reasonwhy we're here.
Like somebody had to come earlyand open the building up and
turn the lights on and make surethe air conditionings were set
at the right temperature Seems alittle warm to me, but some of

(12:08):
you are cold, so I know we'reworking out just right.
It's like a marriage One's hot,one's cold, one talks, one
doesn't.
So somebody has to show up andopen the doors and turn on the
lights and get the AC set.
Somebody has to show up andtune the sound.
And somebody has to show up andopen the doors and turn on the
lights and get the AC set.
Somebody has to show up andtune the sound.
And somebody has to get theirinstruments ready and somebody

(12:29):
has to get the kid's space ready.
And this doesn't happen withouta dream team.
So thank God for the team thatshowed up to serve today.
But I said all that to say.
I greeted the dream team today.
I was like what's up team?
And they were kind of like eh,I was like all right, we're
going to have to think our wayout of this little ditty.

(12:49):
Like we're going to have to, Iam alive, I'm awake, I feel
great.
Like I am alive, I'm awake, Ifeel great.
Like, just say that a few timesand you can think your way into
a better attitude over whatyou're looking at.
Try it, try it, students, onMonday or Tuesday or Wednesday
when you go into class.

(13:09):
Try it when you go into theoffice on Monday morning.
That blue Monday doesn't haveto be blue any longer if you
think differently.
So there's where we're at,Isaiah.
Let me just remind you what wedid.
We'll talk about what we didover the last few weeks.
So when I think like Jesus,number one, I know my true
identity.
I know God's purpose for mylife.

(13:31):
I'm always aware that God iswith me.
Last week, we covered thesefour.
I let God help choose my words.
Remember how many of youpracticed that this week.
Hey God, help me.
Help me with what I should sayand how I should say it.
Hey, god, help me, help me withwhat I should say and how I
should say it.
The first word might not alwaysbe the right word, but if
you'll just trust the Lord tohelp you choose your words

(13:53):
better, you'll get to the rightspot.
You might start cursing, but atleast end up blessing Too real
when I think, like Jesus, Idon't seek the approval of

(14:13):
others.
I'm living for an audience ofone, and sometimes we get caught
up in what people think aboutus, how they think and we do,
and how well we perform, andwhat our Instagram account looks
like.
I, I just wish one day.
I just wish my.
This is my only wish One day.

(14:43):
I wish the entire social medianetwork would fall and go silent
for one day.
For one day, just for me toknow what it's like to just have
a quiet day and not worry aboutwhat everybody thinks about me.
That's another message that Ursjust said.
That's old, just called me old.
The next one I depend on God'spower.
Even Jesus depended on theheavenly father for his power,
the Holy Spirit's power withinus.

(15:03):
And then the last one we talkedabout last week was I forgive
my enemies.
And God calls us not to justforgive our enemies, but
remember.
He calls us to love those thatpersecute us, do good to those
that are spitefully using us,bless those who are against us,
and to pray for those who tearus down.
That's a standard of not justforgiving.

(15:23):
It's like going the extra mile.
So let's wrap it up today andlet's close it out.
We know that the key passage ofscripture for this little
series we're doing is this whocan know the Lord's thoughts?
Who knows enough to teach him?
But we this is Paul writing.
So Isaiah is who knows theLord's thoughts and who can
understand him?
And then Paul writes well, hequotes Isaiah, he quotes the

(15:46):
prophet.
Who can know the Lord'sthoughts and who knows enough to
teach them.
But we understand these things,for we have the mind of Christ
and sometimes you just have togo mm-hmm.
Things that make you go mm-hmm,no-transcript.

(16:12):
But you gotta practice it, yougotta put it into practice, you
gotta apply it.
You can't just fall back intothe patterns of what you were,
the conformed of the world, butyou have to renew your mind
daily.
So let's roll in, let's closeout this series when I think,
like Jesus, number eight, I'mwilling to sacrifice for others.

(16:32):
We live in a world that's prettymuch what have you done for me
lately, it's not so much whatcan I do for you, but it's what
have you done for me.
We live in a world that iswe're self-seeking, self-serving
, self-help.
I mean, that is the standard ofthe world.
But when we think like Jesus,we think what can I do to

(16:54):
sacrifice for others?
Think like Jesus.
We think what can I do tosacrifice for others?
By the way, by the way, when wetalk about Jesus dying on a
cross for our sins, literallygoing to the cross and being
crucified in the most inhumaneway possible, the very worst
punishment that our world couldknow when we think about that as
the sacrifice for our sins, ithardly seems like a sacrifice

(17:17):
for me to do good for someone orto give up a meal for someone
or to let somebody cut in linein front of me.
That hardly seems like asacrifice.
But when I think like Jesus,I'm willing to sacrifice for
others.
And I read this in John 10,verse 14.

(17:38):
Jesus says I'm the goodshepherd.
I know my sheep, my sheep knowme, just as the father knows me.
And I know the father.
And look what he says.
And I laid down my life for thesheep.
He knew.
He knew he was willing tosacrifice.
He was willing to sacrifice anda few weeks ago I read Mark 10,

(18:00):
45 to sacrifice, he was willingto sacrifice.
A few weeks ago I read Mark 10,45 to you.
It says he came to serve andnot to be served.
Jesus came to serve and not beserved.
I would tell you in the NewTestament.
There's two key verbs in theNew Testament.
It's serving and giving,serving and giving.
You read the New Testament andsome of you.
And giving, serving and giving.
You read the New Testament andsome of you would say well, love

(18:20):
, love is the verb of the NewTestament?
Well, it is, but it's servingand giving.
If you break it down, it'sserving and giving and what I
know is around church life.
Those are two large verbs aswell, but I wanna just encourage
you.
We're getting ready to go to twoservices in a couple of weeks.
I mean it's going to be here ina heartbeat and we're going to

(18:42):
celebrate 13 years of churchlife and then we're going to go
to two services on that Sunday 1, 9 am, 1, 11 am.
And I told our team today, likeall of us are prepared to
sacrifice and serve extra, but Ihave a desire and a dream to
add 50 new people to our teamover the next 90 days.
And so some of you have beenattending.

(19:05):
You're worshiping with us,you're giving faithfully, and I
just want to encourage you tojoin the team and serve with us.
Help make Sunday possible.
So if you have attended Freeway, ever attended Freeway, you can
be a part of the team and wecan help point you to the right
team.
If you've never attendedfreeway today only you can join

(19:25):
our team and then we'll do thefreeway later, because the
vision is not heavy if we allcarry it together and we're not
here for a big number of churchpeople and the biggest church in

(19:46):
the village.
We're not here for that.
We're here for people to get toknow God better and for them to
find freedom and for them todiscover their purpose and then
for them to help us make adifference.
That is the vision of ourchurch.
We are here to help people knowGod better and we do that on
Sunday and when you serve, youhelp people take steps to know

(20:07):
God better.
So get your phone real quick ifyou wanna join the team and open
up Renee, that's Slack.
For those of you that are likewhat is it?
It's Slack.
Go to Slack and text a directmessage to Renee.
Find Renee, dm Renee.
Forward, slash, serve and picka team.

(20:27):
I'll tell you where we need thelargest number of teams to make
Sunday happen Our kids, ourtech team and our host team.
Those are the three areas thatwe really really, really really
wanna expand those teams so thatthe people serving can have a

(20:48):
break.
And, by the way, now that wehave two services, you can serve
one and worship one, so you canwork, serve and then you can
worship, and I wanna encourageyou to do that.
So forward slash, serve.
Our team will reach out to youand we'll get you plugged in on
the schedule and get all thegood things Because, listen, our
greatest fulfillment comes whenwe get involved in serving.

(21:11):
It's just the reality.
Church life is better whenwe're serving.
Church life is better whenwe're in a small group.
Church life is better whenwe're serving Church life is
better when we're in a smallgroup.
Church life is better whenwe're really active and
participating in what'shappening.
It's a lot better.
So that was my little pitch forjoining the team.
But I started that by sayingthe verbs are serving and giving

(21:33):
and that's all wrapped aroundlove.
Everybody, everybody knows John3.16.
In this room, I bet Pretty muchJohn 3.16.
Listen, on football, it's inevery football stadium.
It's at every athletic event.
People put it on their eyeblock, john 3.16.
It's everywhere.
We know it For God.

(21:53):
So yeah, see, you know it.
For God.
So loved the world, he gave hisone and only son, his only
begotten son, that whoeverbelieves in him would not perish
but have everlasting life.
We know it, we learned it.
I would contend even someChristians.
They know that verse betterthan we do, sometimes Not better
, but they know it.
They've heard it so much oftenthey've memorized it.

(22:15):
But how many of us know 1 John3.16?
1 John 3.16 is the passage ofscripture.
For people who are followers ofJesus that understand there's a
response to the love we've beengiven.
Watch this.
We know what real love isbecause Jesus gave up his life
for us.
So we also ought to give up ourlives for our brothers and

(22:39):
sisters.
So the verbs in the NewTestament are giving and serving
.
And what I know is this you cangive and you can serve without
loving.
You can do it.
People, you know what they do.
If you break the law, they giveyou a thing called community

(23:00):
service.
You don't love serving, butthey're gonna force you to serve
.
Or or you give without lovingbecause you pay your taxes and
ain't nobody in this room lovespaying taxes.
But so you can give and servewithout loving, but you cannot

(23:22):
love without giving and serving.
If you love, you're gonna giveand you're gonna serve.
And it's incredible to me whenJesus, when Jesus is sacrificing
for us, he does it.
He's like I'm willing to do it,I'm willing to lay down my life

(23:45):
.
And that's the attitude when wethink, like Jesus, we're
willing to lay down our life.
The next one is this let's keepgoing, number nine, when I
think, like Jesus, I will doGod's will, so I'm willing to
sacrifice, and then I will doGod's will.
John 6, 38 says this Jesus saysthis I came down from heaven to

(24:10):
do what God wants me to do, notwhat I want to do.
And I wonder.
This passage of scripture gotme thinking.
I wonder how many of us live inthe space of I want this rather
than what God wills.
So we pray what we want.
We pray, you know, god, this ishow it's got to go, and like,

(24:31):
yeah, jesus, take the wheel, butI'm just going to steer it from
this side for a little bit,because this is what I want.
And how often do we do what wewant now and then we decide we
can repent for it later.
But listen, we need to get to aspace where we, or Shauna's mom,
passed away when she was 13from cancer, and a few weeks ago

(24:53):
somebody shared with us hersister shared with us an old
recording of her mother sharinga message to a women's
conference and it's really themost that we had heard.
Arshana was remarking how it'sthe most, the longest message
and time of speaking that isrecorded of her mom, and her mom
has been recorded singing instudios and in conferences and a

(25:13):
beautiful singer Like now youknow where Arshana got it, by
the way her mother sings.
And recorded singing in studiosand in conferences and a
beautiful singer, like now youknow where Shana got it, by the
way her mother sings.
But we never heard her speakfor so long and so we got to
listen to this.
But she always prayed thisprayer Like heal me of this
cancer Do.
Like, heal me, I want to live,I want to be around for my kids.

(25:34):
But she always closed herprayer.
But whatever your will is sosometimes what we want, we can
get sidetracked if we only focuson what we want.
But we have to turn ourattention to what God wills, and
I think about this John 14, 31.

(25:54):
John 14, 31,.
The world must know that I lovethe Father, so I do exactly
what the Father told me to do.
There's a level of obediencethere, and I just wanna share it
for a couple moments because Ithink sometimes we get
overwhelmed.
The situations in our life,they pressure us and perhaps it

(26:16):
would just be easier to justpursue what we want instead of
surrendering our lives to God'swill.
But look what Jesus did on thistoughest night.
The soldiers, the Romansoldiers, before Judas pays that

(26:38):
terrible price to allow him tobe arrested and crucified.
And listen, he's about to bewhipped, scorned, he's about to
be spit at.
But look at the prayer he praysin Mark 14, 36.
He says Abba, father,everything is possible for you.
Please take this cup ofsuffering away from me.

(26:59):
That's what Jesus wanted inthat moment.
Let this cup pass.
But then he says but yet I wantyour will to be done, not mine.
And so we always say it was the.
It was not the nails that heldhim to the cross.
It was his love for you and me.
And I would contend yes, it wasnot the nails, but it was

(27:19):
something more than his love foryou and me.
It was his obedience andwilling to do God's will, what
God's will was for us.
That held him to the cross.
It was the obedience.
And that's not always, that'snot always the highest sell to
talk about obedience, becausewe'd rather do what we want and
then get God's help after, like,let me do what God wants me to

(27:45):
do and then after if it's notright, then God can help me fix
it.
Will you grab my glasses?
I think they're right there onthe table, are they right there?
I need those for this moment.
Liam, you can come so I canstart wrapping this up.
Listen, this is not in yournotes, so you're gonna have to
add some notes to yourself foryour own response or if you're

(28:09):
taking notes.
But very early this morning theHoly Spirit woke me up with
this when I was thinking aboutobedience.
In John 14 and 15, jesus says ifyou love me, obey my
commandments.
If you love me, obey mycommandments.
So he's setting up, and that'stypically where we stop, and

(28:35):
that is if we're gonna preachline upon line.
That is the line we preach.
We preach if you love me, obeymy commandments.
So, furthermore, obedience isgenerated not out of reward or
not out of duty.
It is generated out of love.
So I preach.
That preach is pretty good.

(28:57):
I love, therefore, I do.
But the Holy Spirit prompted meto read it again and so when I
read it again this morning,verse 15 says if you love me,
obey my commandments.
Verse 16 says and I will askthe Father and he will give you
another advocate.
So the way I feel like the HolySpirit was leading me this

(29:22):
morning to share with you isthat a lot of times we think, if
I love Jesus, I'll obey him.
And it's in that moment thatJesus says and I will send Out
of your obedience, I'll obey him.
And it's in that moment thatJesus says and I will send out
of your obedience, I'll sendanother helper.
And a lot of times we get into asituation we're not obedient

(29:46):
and now we find ourselves in amess and we're like oh, you got
to fix it, holy spirit.
Like you can't be unpreparedand leave for work 20 minutes
late and expect the Holy Spiritto get you to work on time.
That's not what the Holy Spiritis relegated to do.
But when you're obedient andyou're walking in the way of the

(30:12):
Lord, the Holy Spirit will bethere as an empowerment to you,
as an advocate for you.
And there's grace for when youdon't hit the mark.
That's what grace is for, forwe all fall short of the glory
of God.
So there's a grace.
I'm not saying you have to beperfect, but there's something

(30:33):
that I'm not saying you have tobe perfect, but there's
something that happens whenyou're obedient and when the
first thing that happens inobedience is it releases the
power of the Holy Spirit in yourlife.
So so that that got me thinkingthis morning.
And then I went to anotherpassage and I got to find it

(31:05):
here quickly.
Leviticus 26 promises rain inits season, a bountiful harvest
and peace for those who obeyGod's command.
Psalm 128 highlights theblessings of eating the fruit of
one's labor and experiencingthe prosperity and blessings
that comes from obedience.
Deuteronomy promises blessingsthrough obedience in all areas

(31:30):
of life, including blessings inyour cities, in your fields,
through your children, in theirlivestock and in your fruit
baskets.
Like, there is a reward forobedience but we don't.
We're not obedient for thereward.
We're obedient because we loveand then that releases the Holy
Spirit in our life and there'sbountiful blessings that are

(31:51):
poured out for us.
And there's bountiful blessingsthat are poured out for us.
I can only tell you this waywhen we were in Houston, we knew
we were called to plant achurch, we knew we were called

(32:11):
to start something new and man,so many times Rashaun and I had
the discussion of what it lookedlike and I'm just so thankful
we're living in a realization ofpart of the dream.
It's not the full dream.
We're still moving, we're stillgoing forward.
There's more to be done,there's more to be accomplished,

(32:31):
but it was this picture ofpeople loving Jesus from every
life age and every life stage,from all the continents of the
world coming together, man, tosee our students on their knees
before the Lord in worshipthat's stuff we dreamed about.

(32:55):
To see young adults pushinginto the presence of God.
To see families flourishingtogether and marriages being
saved and healthy and whole.
To see it multi-generational,like it's not just all young
people and it's not just all oldpeople.
I've been in a lot of churcheswhere it's all old people, and

(33:17):
then I've been in churches whereit's all young people, but it's
a wonderful blend of all of it.
And we knew God called us to dothat.
What we didn't know was where Iand so we lived in Houston.
We had moved my parents toHouston in 2010.
We had moved Urshana's dad andstepmom to Houston in 2010.

(33:38):
So when the Lord called us toplant a church in 2011, we were
like, well, of course it's gotto be Houston, because that's
where our whole family lives.
And so we told our pastors saywe want to plant a church and we
think it's Houston.
You know, they didn't like it.
I mean I don't.
I mean Houston's a big city.
But they were not.

(33:58):
They were like, well, it can'tbe Houston.
We're like, you're sure,different area.
No, we're like okay.
So we went back and prayedabout it Lord, let it be Houston
, it's what we wanted.
Lord, change our pastor's heartso we can plant in Houston.
Went back to our pastors to talkabout it again.

(34:20):
What do you think?
They were like oh, it's notHouston.
I'm like, okay, maybe we're notpraying it right.
And I remember sitting at atable with my pastor, pastor
Brett, and I said I really thinkit could be Houston, pastor
Brett.
And he's like I don't thinkthat's where the Lord's calling

(34:41):
you, chuck.
And I said well, if you say itcan't be Houston, then I want to
, I want to, I'll go wherever,because I know what God's called

(35:04):
us to do.
And in that moment the HolySpirit reminded me of a
prophetic word that was spokenover our lives like five years
prior to that, and the propheticword I remember it word for
word, which, by the way,sometimes, when you know it's a
real word from God, you'll neverforget it.
And when it was spoken to us, Iwas like I don't even know.
And the word over our life wasbecause you've sacrificed,

(35:26):
you'll receive blessings foranything you do.
We sacrificed.
For anything you do.
We sacrificed we were thesecond on staff.
That was 20 years we had beenserving In church life as not
the lead pastor, just serving,serving, serving the vision of
the house, serving the vision ofthe house, serving the vision
of the house.
For 20 years we did that.

(35:47):
He said because you sacrificed,you're going to be blessed.
Then he said but because you're, you're going to be blessed.
Then he said but because you'reobedient In your obedience,
you'll receive a double blessing.
And when I said I think itcould be Houston, but wherever

(36:09):
you and the Lord say, we'rewilling to go, because we know
it's in our heart to startsomething new.
And when that word hit me in myspirit, it also changed the
environment at that table andour pastors helped pave the way
for us to come here.
My brother told me you gotta.

(36:29):
I was with my brother in Julyof 2011,.
He said you gotta come visitOak Park.
I was like, okay, when we came,my brother in July of 2011.
He said you gotta come visitOak Park.
I was like, okay.
When we came, we fell in lovewith it immediately.
You've heard that story.
A month later we broughteverybody my parents, my aunt
and uncle, like my secondparents, my siblings, my brother
came in.
He drove in from South Elgin towalk through the streets and

(36:49):
Art was like man, this place isawesome.
I was like, well, you told usto come visit.
He said, yeah, I've never beenhere, lived in this area 20
years, never drove through OakPark.
I was like, well, why didn'tyou tell me that the first time?
I would probably look somewhereelse.
But a double blessing.
We launched in a building thatthey said no, we couldn't launch

(37:13):
in.
We launched there.
We went to a school where theysaid, no way, not in this school
district.
You'll never meet in thisschool district.
We went there.
We found a building and we'reable to buy it in 2020.
They say you'll never ownproperty in Oak Park.

(37:33):
I'm just telling you God honorssacrifice, but he will bless
obedience.
When you think like Jesus,you'll live life to be obedient,
not for the blessing, but it isa payoff.
And then the last one if youthink like like Jesus, you'll

(37:54):
have an eternal perspective.
The Bible says in Hebrewsbecause of the joy he knew he
would, that would be hisafterwards.
He endured that shameful deathon the cross.
For us, nobody goes throughdifficulty.

(38:14):
He endured that shameful deathon the cross.
For us, nobody goes throughdifficulty with their mindset on
how difficult it is.
Everyone who goes throughdifficulty makes it through that
difficulty because they thinkabout what's on the other side.
When you're in the gym, it'spainful to lift those weights.
You're tearing down yourmuscles every single time, but

(38:36):
you're doing it because on theother side you're going to be
stronger, healthier, look better.
Oh, I don't know about it.
I lift so I look better and Ineed to keep lifting.
That's what all of you aresaying.
Keep lifting, keep lifting PC.
That's what all of you aresaying.
Keep lifting, keep lifting pc.

(38:57):
But if you get caught intolooking at the moment, you're
going to miss out on what's whatthe moment's for.
Paul said the suffering we facein this world is nothing
compared to the eternal glorywe'll experience.
And if, if you'll think likeJesus, you'll stop focusing on
the pain and start recognizingwhat a beautiful picture that

(39:19):
pain is painting for the future,you might look back someday and
think man, look how beautifulGod made it.
And the Bible promises Godmakes all things beautiful in
its time.
The difficulty, the hurt, allof it might not be beautiful in

(39:41):
the moment, but if you'll justtrust God with an eternal
perspective, you'll get there,and you've got to think your way
through that.
Can you receive that word today?
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you forrenewing our mind, to give us

(40:01):
the mind of Christ so that wecan think like him.
And when we think like him, notonly do we become more like him
, but the world has changedthrough us.
I pray for anyone in this roomwho is experiencing difficulty
and is unable to see the joy,the eternal perspective of what

(40:27):
you have in store for them.
Lord, even right now, would youopen our minds to what's better
beyond this current moment,because you're in it.
You'll never leave us, you'llnever forsake us.
There will be something, thereis a purpose to the pain we're
experiencing, and I just prayright now for anyone who's

(40:47):
experiencing that type of pain.
I pray strength.
I pray strength.
I pray peace.
I pray that you would move thempast the need of understanding
and just trust Lord.
I think there's those in thisroom that are really wrestling
with your will for their lifeand I just pray you would make

(41:09):
it clear and it becomes clearthrough the word of God, and I
just pray you do that.
If you keep your eyes closed,your head bowed, maybe you've
never made a decision to followJesus.
Today, it'd be my honor to leadyou into that moment.
You say well, pc, what doesthat?
What does that mean exactly?
It just simply means you need atransformation of your mind so

(41:36):
that you don't think like you'vealways thought, but you can
think a new thought, and theBible says this.
Well, I told you what John 3,16 says, for God so loved the
world, they that gave his onlyson.
But did you know?
The Bible says in Romans thatwe're all sinners, every single
one of us.
There's not one righteous, no,not one of us and that there is

(42:00):
actually a penalty for sin.
There's a wage, it's arequirement for sin.
But you know what?
Jesus paid that price for you.
So, instead of you having tosit in the judgment and penalty
of the sin that you're born intoand, by the way, sin is not
necessarily something we do,it's really the space or the gap

(42:22):
between us and God, and soJesus paid a price to bridge
that gap.
You could see that cross asJesus hangs there.
It's like a bridge between youand your heavenly father.
He spreads his arm that wide toclose that gap for you.
And if you'll believe that inyour heart, that Jesus paid that
price for you and you'llconfess it with your mouth, the
Bible says you'll be saved.

(42:42):
And that will be.
The Bible says this inCorinthians said that the old
has passed away and behold allthings become new.
That is the new mind thatyou're going to get.
Think new thoughts, thinkhigher thoughts, think like
Jesus.
You've never made that decision.
I want to walk you through thatright now.
What do I do, pc?
Listen first, you believe inyour heart, then you confess it

(43:05):
with your mouth.
And if you've never made thatdecision, it's my honor to lead
you there, into that.
Now.
It's just through a simpleconfession, this prayer we pray
at the end of every service aswe get to know God better.
And if that's you, I'm going tocount to three.
Just raise your hand at threeand say that's me, pc.
Today I want to begin to followJesus.
I'm going to confess him as mySavior.
Are you ready?
One, two, three, let me seeyour hands all over this room.

(43:26):
Thank you for that hand.
Thank you for that hand.
Thank you for those hands backthere.
Thank you for those hands.
Thank you for that hand.
Let's pray this prayer church.
Dear Jesus, thank you forloving me, for paying a price I
could not pay to give, a gift Icould never earn.
I choose to follow you, turnfrom my own ways and follow

(43:47):
after your ways.
Renew my thoughts today.
Let me think like you.
Jesus Be my Lord and Savior.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Come on church, family.
Let's celebrate together.
Let's all stand Amen.
Well, what a powerful day inhis presence.
What a great day to be togetherNext week student takeover.
It's going to be a powerful dayas we pray for and bless all the

(44:10):
students and faculty and staffmembers back to school for this
school year.
It's going to be a great day asour students and children take
over and lead us in worship andlead us in ministry.
It's going to be a great day.
Hey, if you prayed that prayerfirst time, or first time in a
long time, there's a number onthe screen for you to text and
let us know you made thatdecision.
We have a gift in the lobby foryou.

(44:31):
If you're a guest, stop by NextSteps area.
You made that decision.
We have a gift in the lobby foryou.
If you're a guest, stop by NextSteps area.
We have a gift for you.
We'd love to connect, get toknow you by name and so we can
say hey to you again soon.
Listen, it's been a great dayin God's house.
My prayer, the Lord bless you.
The Lord keep you.
He caused this space to shineupon you.
Hey, we'll see you next week.
Church Blessings.